Iron Man (Extremis) & Mandarin Comments

Its a good upgrade for extremis. Im glad i never opened the original. As for mandarin I like this look. But I did pick up an mcu master mordo to kit bash a robed look. 

This isn't my preferred version of Mandarin, but its better than either of the MCU version. I will probably hold off a short while until Hasbro inevitably comes out with the picture perfect Mandarin so many people have been asking for. 

I'm not getting this set regardless but I certainly think it's worth it if you lack either character in your collection but I would keep it boxed or at least just pull Mandarin and leave Iron Man incarcerated. The set does look great boxed, though, and would display quite well.

If a price drop does come to fruition, I may end up picking up this set. Do you think a lower price will make up for a potential issue or is it just not worth getting it at all? I am more of an X-Men guy myself, but I do appreciate this set for what it is.

With the double confirmation regarding the quality control issues of this set, I think an immediate price drop across the board is in order.

Yeah that’s a good call! My wife made the same suggestion for when I get mine painted. 

Good to know. I just picked this set up. Might spray it with a protective sealant or something before I handle it.

Be warned: if you’re posing or messing with the figure, keep your fingers away from the arc reactor. I wasn’t paying attention and managed to rub half of it off. 

<span style="font-size: 14px;">Yes but … here’s the rub. I promise you that the next Mandarin will be just as lame, IMO. It’ll be the animated one or l’ll be sincerely shocked. You know it. I know it. We all know it. And while many, IMO oddly, want that one…for my money, that’s just as much a cop out as the suit one. I’ll be every bit as annoyed. Green skin? To the few lunatic fringe who argue Mandarin is a racist caricature… that isn’t offensive? Make it make sense. The only reasoning l’ve got for it is doing the animated one gives them the “He’s not Asian, he’s alien,” excuse. It’s much like the suit Mandarin is just an Asian dude in a suit, not overtly Chinese. Apparently, someone wrote some stupid rule that says a long haired, goateed Asian man in a kimono or ethnic armor crosses into “racial stereotype,” but apparently it’s okay…if he’s in a suit or has green skin. I’d love to meet who writes these apparently cosmically universal “What is and isn’t offensive” rules…because someone needs to call them on how arbitrary they are. I’ve accepted my fate: we will likely NEVER get a REAL comic Mandarin figure for …insert radicalized ist-a-phobia activist reasoning here. Not unless out culture reverts back to sanity again. It’s a true shame and, ultimately, the REAL reason has nothing to do with racial stereotypes because…so Shredder is offensive to Japanese peoples then? Why is it always other races being offended for that race too? What about Shang Chi?&nbsp; Iron Fist being a white dude? Silver Samurai wears, well, Japanese Samurai armor. Is that offensive now? It’s always been a front for business. It has everything to do with being afraid of offending the Chinese market, not that they really deem him racially insensitive. It's that they fear portraying a Chinese man as a terroristic villain will do it, it's how you end up with IM3 and it being seemingly the root of the character being written off in any overtly Chinese way. It doesn’t really have to do with sensitivities because there’s nothing rationally to be offended by. It is what is is.&nbsp; Sadly, you’re probably right. We’re most likely left to cobble together our own somewhat comic “close enough…l guess” kit bashed meets customized Mandarin using the hodgepodge of parts they have given and perhaps parts from other lines and companies. Tragic but most likely true.&nbsp;</span>

Maybe you and I are better off just getting our hands on a NECA Ming The Merciless (they made 4 different ones!!) or a Fu Manchu figure. I think the Hasbro livestream guys hinted this wouldn’t be the last mandarin, but do you want to keep getting strung along?

<span style="--tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; --tw-contain-size: ; --tw-contain-layout: ; --tw-contain-paint: ; --tw-contain-style: ; --sj-tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --sj-tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --sj-tw-translate-x: 0; --sj-tw-translate-y: 0; --sj-tw-rotate: 0; --sj-tw-skew-x: 0; --sj-tw-skew-y: 0; --sj-tw-scale-x: 1; --sj-tw-scale-y: 1; --sj-tw-pan-x: ; --sj-tw-pan-y: ; --sj-tw-pinch-zoom: ; --sj-tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --sj-tw-gradient-from-position: ; --sj-tw-gradient-via-position: ; --sj-tw-gradient-to-position: ; --sj-tw-ordinal: ; --sj-tw-slashed-zero: ; --sj-tw-numeric-figure: ; --sj-tw-numeric-spacing: ; --sj-tw-numeric-fraction: ; --sj-tw-ring-inset: ; --sj-tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --sj-tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --sj-tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --sj-tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --sj-tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --sj-tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --sj-tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --sj-tw-blur: ; --sj-tw-brightness: ; --sj-tw-contrast: ; --sj-tw-grayscale: ; --sj-tw-hue-rotate: ; --sj-tw-invert: ; --sj-tw-saturate: ; --sj-tw-sepia: ; --sj-tw-drop-shadow: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-blur: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-invert: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-sepia: ; font-size: 14px;">For what it’s meant to be…it achieves that. But what it’s meant to be…is hands down the most bland version they could have possibly gone with of an otherwise unique, highly requested, and exciting character absolutely required for an Iron Man shelf. The set is fine. That’s the problem. It’s just fine, and the Mandarin shouldn’t be relegated to “just fine” after a 20+ year long wait. There are incredibly standout options for this character, versions that would light up a shelf. Instead…we got a CEO. The fault isn’t in the figures. They’re quality enough. The flaw is fundamental. They picked the WRONG version and tagged him in with a modest upgrade of an Iron Man we got not too long ago. They turned this from an automatic winner sure to get on top 10 2025 lists into one of the most disappointing and underwhelming releases in years. The best analogy I can come up with for this set is…say you go to your favorite restaurant. You order your favorite meal. It’s made to perfection by the finest cook in town, a five-star chef trained in France.&nbsp;</span><span style="--tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; --tw-contain-size: ; --tw-contain-layout: ; --tw-contain-paint: ; --tw-contain-style: ; --sj-tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --sj-tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --sj-tw-translate-x: 0; --sj-tw-translate-y: 0; --sj-tw-rotate: 0; --sj-tw-skew-x: 0; --sj-tw-skew-y: 0; --sj-tw-scale-x: 1; --sj-tw-scale-y: 1; --sj-tw-pan-x: ; --sj-tw-pan-y: ; --sj-tw-pinch-zoom: ; --sj-tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --sj-tw-gradient-from-position: ; --sj-tw-gradient-via-position: ; --sj-tw-gradient-to-position: ; --sj-tw-ordinal: ; --sj-tw-slashed-zero: ; --sj-tw-numeric-figure: ; --sj-tw-numeric-spacing: ; --sj-tw-numeric-fraction: ; --sj-tw-ring-inset: ; --sj-tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --sj-tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --sj-tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --sj-tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --sj-tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --sj-tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --sj-tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --sj-tw-blur: ; --sj-tw-brightness: ; --sj-tw-contrast: ; --sj-tw-grayscale: ; --sj-tw-hue-rotate: ; --sj-tw-invert: ; --sj-tw-saturate: ; --sj-tw-sepia: ; --sj-tw-drop-shadow: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-blur: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-invert: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --sj-tw-backdrop-sepia: ; font-size: 14px;">They bring out something you didn’t order.&nbsp;It doesn’t matter if it's a decent meal…if you don’t like salmon. This Mandarin isn't even a decent meal. It's phoned in. It's a microwaved TV dinner of something I wanted...but didn't even really order.&nbsp;</span>

I take it that you're not happy with this set...

What’s also interesting, is we haven’t seen anyone else with a Marvel license fill the Mandarin void, either. Diamond Select, Macfarlane, Mezco, Mafex, Yamaguchi, etc. No Mandarins. Based on that, I still think the racial concerns hypothesis has credibility, at least as a risk/reward calculation on the manufacturer’s part.&nbsp;

<span style="font-size: 14px;">So the problem with this set is about as obvious as witnessing someone rip a cigarette while pumping gas. And that describes my reaction to its reveal: explosive. I’ve been waiting since the tragedy that was the Toybiz Face Off version for a quality Mandarin figure. It’s been the better part of two decades since this guy has been done. In that timeframe we’ve witnessed practically everyone receive their primary adversary, from the household rivalries like X-Men vs. Magneto, Spider-Man vs. Green Goblin, and Thor vs. Loki to the more obscure like Punisher vs. Jigsaw, Fury vs. Strucker, and even Ant-Man vs. Egghead. Hasbro’s delivered all of those…but not Tony’s ultimate foe, the leading hero of the MCU, now amongst the top tier of Marvel protagonists? So we waited…and waited…and waited some more. And within that massive space of time between then and now I’ve graduated college, I’ve bought my first home, I’ve fallen in love, I have a career, all the landmarks of general life…and we’ve still not received a Mandarin. Not one. For some reason that continues to baffle me to this very day, since his evisceration within IM3, Disney REALLY hates this character and seemingly wants us to just forget that he’s Iron Man’s archenemy. Twenty-plus years of this character being my #1 most wanted Legend. Yes, I’ve heard the theories, balls of projection or paranoia about some supposed “racial stereotype,” yet is Disney that disconnected from the fanbase? Nobody rational would ever think he’s some offensive stereotype, no more than the likes of Shang Chi, yet there must be something to it. Because my biggest fear has always been that they’d finally cave and make the Mandarin…and it would be the laziest, most phoned-in, suit version of the villain. Alas, my fear came to reality. Deep down, I knew it was going to happen. In a moment of true fairness, one cannot judge the figure based off of the poor design. It’s a quality offering for what it’s intended to be…but it’s fundamentally flawed in the selected version. It commits perhaps the greatest sin an action figure can bear—being downright boring. Of 70-some years of continuity, dozens of costume variants, notwithstanding intricate armors, colorful and flamboyant robes, and even masks…and they deliver a glorified businessman that needs a haircut. To add insult to injury, only one pair of hands even includes his signature rings. True to the source material or not…you’d think they’d have the foresight to recognize people WANT the ringed hands more. Why not just release Doc Ock without his tentacles? Tack in a modest upgrade of Extremis Iron Man, nice but nothing particularly exciting…and you have a two-pack release that could have won the best release of the year, but, though well executed for what they’re intended to represent, what they bizarrely chose to represent are half-decent figures of, by far, the least interesting version of this iconic rivalry. What good is a well-made watch...to someone who doesn't wear watches? They somehow managed to screw up what should have been a flawless victory release of one of the most highly requested characters. We waited 20+ years…for this? Here’s hoping it’s not 20 more. Iron Man's fearsome foe deserves better. We deserve better. Release a REAL classic comic Mandarin. Not the neutered, green-skinned goofball from the animated series. Not this trust-fund CEO. Mandarin—the Chinese communist warlord from the comic books.&nbsp;</span>

I forgot where on youtube, but I saw mandarins head popped onto what looked like mcu baron mordo or mcu eternals for that robe look.&nbsp;

Glad this turned out well for those that wanted it. I’m still not swayed, simply because I don’t need another Extremis, and I’m holding out for a more colorful Mandarin.&nbsp;

I got this pack in today and so far I am really happy with it. Iron Man now has an ab crunch and butterflies and it’s awesome! I also like the change from gold to a darker yellow. I also like the Mandarin figure. Both of the head sculpts for him are well done and his body sculpt is pretty good as well. I was surprised to see that he has an ab crunch as well